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Gem & Mineral Society of Syracuse, PO Box 2801, Syracuse, NY web http://www.gmss.us Volume 50 Issue 3, March 2020 209 Oswego St (Ponderosa Plaza), Unit 15, Liverpool, NY
March 16, 2020 Meeting
7:30 pm @ the Clubhouse
Featured Speaker - John Sweeney
Presenting via video:
“The Lapidary Arts”
6:30 pm: Junior Rockhounds Youth Meeting with Rick Moore
“Glaciers, Drumlins and the Finger Lakes” A geological time trip back 25,000 years to when ICE ruled the Northern Hemisphere
March 2020 CRACK ‘N CAB - PAGE 2 Vol 50 No 3
I received an email from
the Copper County Rock and Mineral club in Michigan.
They are willing to swap their local copper and other
minerals with clubs around the country and asked if we would like to
participate. The board thought it would be a good idea and decided to open it up to
club members. So, if you have some NY state rocks you would like to donate,
bring them to the March meeting. These
should be specimens under a pound as we will be mailing the box to Michigan.
They can be minerals or slabs. Thanks for participating.
While you are sorting through your collection, set aside all those duplicates
and bring them to the Suchon’s Rock Swap at their home in Warners on May
30th. It will be from 10 to 3. Bring cash and go home with those items you need
to complete your collection.
Would you like to get to know everyone in
the club? You can serve as the Membership Chair. Donna Dow has
decided to step down from that position,
so we will be looking for someone to take her place in September. Thank you,
Donna, for your service!
The weather is starting to break which
means it’s time to think about field trips. The first one to take place will be to Ace
of Diamonds on Wednesday, April 1st. There will be a sign-up sheet at the March
meeting to see how many people are interested in going then. Penn Dixie will
open on April 25th, so this will be our next trip.
Executive Board Meeting Minutes
The GMSS Board meets the first Tuesday of the month at the
clubhouse in Ponderosa Plaza 7:00 PM GMSS members are
welcome to attend.
March 3, 2020 Gem and Mineral Society of Syracuse Board
Meeting 7:00 PM Club House 14 members were present.
Nominating Committee – Four positions; Vice President,
Sergeant at Arms, Treasurer and Membership Chairman, need
to be filled for the 2020-2021 year. The following have
expressed interest in these positions:
Vice President – Kris Boronczyk
Sergeant at Arms – John Sweeney
Treasurer – needed and prior experience is appreciated in
keeping finances. Thank you, Linda Sweeney, for your years of
service!
Membership Chairman – open in September 2020. Thank
you, Donna Dow, for doing this job superbly!
Please contact Cheryl Brown if you would like to be
considered for any of these positions.
Programs – What with illness this season there have been
some changes in our speaker line up. Our speaker Laurel Saiz
speaking on the Split Rock Disaster in March is postponed. We
will instead have a program on lapidary with John Sweeney
speaking.
April Program – Annual Club Auction!
May Program – Rick Moore or Dave Millis will be speakers.
Dave has been doing some serious collecting in the southwest
and will have much to talk about. Rick is giving lectures to
various groups and has an interesting book he may share.
Show Committee meeting is March 24 at 7:00PM at the club
house.
Field Trips
There are several upcoming trip opportunities! Stay tuned for
updates on further details. Winter seems almost gone but you
never know……!
April 1- Ace of Diamonds opens for Herkimer diamond
collecting. Cole Hill in Sangerfield is a trilobite-collecting site
opening soon. We are checking into collecting at the Syracuse
Sand and Gravel site. Penn Dixie in Hamburg (fossils) opens
April 25. We were surprised to learn that the Penfield Quarry, a
big site for collecting fluorites, may be closed to rock
collecting as it was sold and is being developed.
Club Rock Sale/Swap May 30 at Joanne and Ed Suchon’s
home in Warners. Bring your rocks, minerals, lapidary items to
swap or sell! This sale will be HUGE! Details will follow.
Michigan Rock Swap A rockhound from Michigan is looking
to swap minerals/rocks from copper country. He is looking for
New York specimens. More about this at the next meeting,
March 20.
Treasurer’s Report Taxes and EFMLS insurance for our club
members have been paid. The monthly “kitty” passed around at
Secretary’s Report Cathy Patterson
President’s Message Cheryl Brown
March 2020 CRACK ‘N CAB - PAGE 3 Vol 50 No 3 meetings to collect 25¢ from anyone not wearing their name
badge and $1.00 for anyone celebrating a birthday as well as
money collected from the 25¢ and 50¢ table of mineral
specimens is adding up nicely! These monies are sent to the
EFMLS Scholarship Program. Thank you!
Thursday Night Open Workshop will be suspended for the
time being. There is a Wednesday open lapidary workshop each
week. The cost to use equipment is just $5 each week. This
helps defray cost of machine wear and tear. Thank you, Steve
Shorey, for opening up and overseeing this workshop!
Youth Group will meet as usual 6:30 PM before the regular
meeting. The topic this month is “Glaciers, Drumlins, and the
Finger Lakes.” Thank you, Rick Moore, for your excellent
work with our youth!
Hospitality – Sharon and Bill Viel will treat us this month to
their delicious home-cooked chili! Thank you! Our Hospitality
Chairman Mary Davis will be asking for volunteers to bring
treats to the upcoming meetings. Please get involved in your
club and volunteer.
Facebook – Thanks go to Judy Cook for adding to our
Facebook page regularly. You can keep abreast of what the club
is up to here.
Sunshine – Several of our members have had “a bad day” this
past month and cards were sent to them. Len and Susan Sharp
are currently recovering from hospital stays. Get well and stay
well! Collecting season is just around the corner.
Respectfully submitted,
Cathy Patterson Secretary
“New Spring Things”
Spring starts us thinking of all the new things growing.
It's amazing to think about
all the places where things can grow. Things even grow
on rocks. There is even a
name for plants that grow on rocks. Plants that grow on
rocks are called Lithophytes.
See how many scrambled Lithophytes you can find
below. The solutions are on Page 6 of this newsletter.
chidsor
egale
nerfs
soms
nelich
March 8 – “Winter Free Day,” Museum of the
Earth, 1259 Trumansburg Rd, Ithaca. 10 am – 5
pm. Admission is free. Priweb.org
March 16 Jr Rockhounds Meeting 6:30 pm
Rick Moore will speak on “Glaciers, Drumlins & the
Finger Lakes.”
Full Membership Meeting 7:30 pm
John Sweeney will give a presentation, with video,
on lapidary arts.
March 17 – St. Patrick’s Day A truly “rocky”
event:
March 21-22 – 52nd Annual Gem-Mineral-
Fossil Show by Buffalo Geological Society. Erie
County Fairgrounds in Hamburg, NY – Market,
Grange & State Police buildings. Saturday 10 am
– 6 pm, Sunday 10 am – 5 pm. Adults $6, scouts
in uniform and kids under 12 are free. Bgsny.org
March 27-30 – Annual EFMLS Convention,
hosted by the Catawba Valley Gem and Mineral
Club, Hickory, NC. Efmls.org. Also, 50th Annual
Gem, Mineral, Fossil & Jewelry Show at
Hickory NC Metro Convention Center. Friday &
Saturday 9 am – 6 pm, Sunday 10 am – 5 pm. $5
good all three days, kids 12 and under, scouts in
uniform free. cvgmc.com/SpecialEvents.
March 28–29 - 51st Annual Gem & Mineral
Show sponsored by the Che-Hanna Rock &
Mineral Club. Wysox Volunteer Fire Co. Social Hall,
111 Lake Rd, Wysox, PA. Saturday 9 am - 5 pm,
Sunday 10 am - 4 pm. Adults $3, Students $1,
kids under 8 free. chehannarocks.com/show.
Upcoming Events
ShamRocks (also available in shake form). And I’m not sure how many people will be kissing the old Blarney Stone this year!
March 2020 CRACK ‘N CAB - PAGE 4 Vol 50 No 3
March 28-29 Western Mass. Mineral, Jewelry
& Fossil Show sponsored by the Connecticut
Valley Mineral Club of Springfield, MA. Hadley
Farms Meeting @ Hampton Village Barn Shops, 41
Russell St (Rt 9), Hadley, MA. Saturday 9:30 am –
5 pm, Sunday 9:30 am – 4 pm. $5 admission,
kids 12 and under & scouts in uniform free.
Westernmassmineralshow.com.
April 1 – Ace of Diamonds Opening Day (no
foolin!) 84 Herkimer St, Middleville, NY. Open 7
days a week through Oct. 31, 9 am – 5 pm. $10
age 8 and older, $5 ages 4-7, ages 3 and younger
free. herkimerdiamonds.com
April 4-5 – 51st Annual Gem and Mineral
Show by the New York Southern Tier Geology
Club 2020 at the Johnson City Senior Center, 30
Brocton St., Johnson City, New York. Saturday 9
am - 5 pm, Sunday 10 am - 4 pm. Adults $4.00,
kids under 12 free with paid adult. Contact
Thomas Ogden - 96 W. Main St., Bainbridge, N.Y.
13733. (607) 967-8552
April 4-5 Annual North Jersey Gem, Mineral
& Fossil Show by the North Jersey Mineralogical
Society. Midland Park High School, 250 Prospect
St, Midland Park, NJ. Saturday 10 am – 5 pm,
Sunday 10 am – 4 pm. Adults $5, Seniors $4,
kids under 12 & scouts in uniform free.
nojms.webs.com/annual-show.
April 4-5 2020 New Haven Mineral Club 47th
Annual Show. Amity Middle School, 100 Ohman
Ave, Orange Ct. Saturday 9:30 am – 5 pm,
Sunday 10 am – 4:30 pm.
newhavenmineralclub.org.
April 20 – Our Semi-Annual Auction Night!
There’s nothing fishy going on here! This beautifully beaded fish is on display at the clubhouse and is the first of many items that will be auctioned off that night. Photo by John Sweeney (our auctioneer).
47th Rochester Mineralogical Symposium April 23 – 26, 2020
Radisson Hotel Rochester Airport (585) 475-1910 175 Jefferson Rd, Rochester, NY 14623
Early Registration Deadline: March 19, 2020 [email protected] (804) 517-6709
This four-day event in Rochester is an international event with attendees and speakers from multiple continents converging in western New York. Mineral collectors, dealers, exhibitors and researchers convene for technical sessions by day, and “shopping” and storytelling by night. Book dealers, a micromount room, dozens of exhibits and a great Saturday afternoon silent auction share the room with almost three days of technical talks. The full schedule and registration form
are available online at: www.rasny.org/MinSymp. The fee for the full symposium is $120, but single day admission is also available. Also visit: https://www.facebook.com/RochesterSymposium/
April 25-26 - Annual Franklin Mineral Show
Sponsored by NJESA, and the Franklin-
Ogdensburg Mineralogical Society. Held in the
Fluorescent Mineral Capital of the World.
Indoor Show & Outdoor Swap. Show: Saturday 9
am – 5 pm, Sunday 10 am – 4 pm. Littell
Community Center, 12 Munsonhurst Rd, #12,
Franklin, NJ. Adults $7, Kids 6-16 $4.
fomsnj.org/Events.
To register for classes, go to the following website: http://www.theurbanbeader.com/metal-immersion-syracuse-2020/
March 2020 CRACK ‘N CAB - PAGE 5 Vol 50 No 3
May 16–18 Annual “Dig With the Experts” for
fossils. Penn Dixie Fossil Park, 4050 North St,
Blasdell, NY. 9 am – 4 pm. Admission varies by
day; reserve by April 15th to guarantee a spot.
Penndixie.org
The Gem and Mineral Club is looking to have
classes in metal clay with a master teacher
Kris Walton. The price will be around $80.00 –
truly well worth the experience.
Joanna Weaver is a seasoned teacher of many
years in polymer clay jewelry and her class is
$25.00.
Kelly Diamond has a studio downtown and is a
teacher in metalsmithing and will teach a class in
spinner rings. Price to be announced.
All classes will be one-day classes. Times and
days for classes will be announced. Sign up
sheets will be at our next club meeting. Any
questions you might have I can answer at our
club meeting. Hope to see you there.
Joanne Suchon 315-440-4098
Birthstone of the Month
The History of Birthstones
The first century A.D. Jewish historian Josephus
believed there was a connection between the 12 gemstones in the breastplate of Aaron, the first High Priest (Exodus 28:15 – 21) that represented the 12 tribes of Israel, the 12 months of the year and the 12 signs of the zodiac. There is also a & under list of 12 Foundation Stones of the New Jerusalem in Revelation
21:19 – 20.
Over the centuries, and in different cultures, the list of birthstones changes.
March: Aquamarine and Bloodstone
There are two birthstones for the month of March!
The word “aquamarine” is derived from the Latin
words for water and the sea. This gemstone was
once believed to protect sailors against all sorts of
mishaps and to guarantee them a safe voyage. The
serene blue of the gem was said to cool the temper,
promote peace and allow the wearer to remain
calm and levelheaded.
In the Middle Ages, many believed just wearing the
stone was a literal antidote to poisoning. The
Romans believed if you carved a frog into a piece of
aquamarine jewelry, it would help reconcile
differences between enemies and make new
friends. They also believed it provided energy and
cured laziness. The Sumerians, Egyptians and
Hebrews admired the gem, and many warriors
would wear it into battle to bring victory.
Aquamarine is a blue, or cyan, variety of beryl, a
pegmatite mineral, in the silicate group. It has a
hardness of 7.5 – 8.0 on the Mohs Hardness Scale. It
occurs in various shades found in Brazil, Columbia,
Pakistan, Madagascar, Nigeria, Zambia and
Mozambique. In the United States, it can be found
in central Colorado, Wyoming, California and Idaho.
Like many beryls, aquamarine forms large crystals
suitable for sizeable gems and carvings. It is a
popular gem for rings, earrings, necklaces and other
jewelry forms.
Aquamarine took over Bloodstone as the primary
modern birthstone for March in 1952. Bloodstone
was the March birthstone in the ancient Roman,
Polish, Arabic, Hebrew and Hindu calendar. It is also
known as heliotrope, from the Greek helios for
“Sun” and trepein “to turn,” derived from ancient
ideas about how the mineral reflect light. It’s a
Wednesday Workshop
Steve Shorey runs the lapidary workshop on Wednesday
afternoons from 1 to 4. If you have
taken John Sweeney’s Lapidary class, you can use the club
equipment. The cost is $5.00.
Wednesday Workshop
Steve Shorey runs the lapidary workshop on Wednesday
afternoons from 1 to 4. If you have
taken John Sweeney’s Lapidary class, you can use the club
equipment. The cost is $5.00.
March 2020 CRACK ‘N CAB - PAGE 6 Vol 50 No 3
cryptocrystalline mixture of quartz occurring as
jasper (opaque) or chalcedony (translucent). The
“classic” bloodstone is opaque green jasper with red
inclusions of iron oxide, especially hematite. The red
inclusions are supposed to resemble spots of blood,
hence the name.
The gemstone was used by Babylonians to make
seals and amulets, and was believed to have healing
powers, especially for blood disorders. They used it
in their divination, and the Egyptians believed it
helped them defeat their enemies, bestow courage,
increased their strength or made them invisible, as
reported by Pliny the Elder in the 1st century. Others
believed the gem could help control or change the
weather, win legal battles or give the gift of
prophecy. It’s sometimes called the “martyr’s
stone,” as legend says it was created when drops of
Christ’s blood stained jasper at the foot of the
Cross.
Bloodstone is in the silicate group, the quartz class,
with a hexagonal crystal system. Its hardness is 7 on
the Mohr Hardness Scale. Sources of bloodstone
found in an embedded form in riverbeds and rocks
include India, Madagascar, Brazil, China, Australia
and Germany.
Bloodstone is often cut into cabochons and beads,
where it is used in bracelets and necklaces, and
sometimes rings.
chidsor orchids
egale algae
nerfs ferns
soms moss
nelich lichen
Source: https://en.wikipedia.org
A “Gem” from our Club Library
Copyright 2018 by Steven C. Chamberlain
Collector’s Guide to the Balmat Mining District by Steven C. Chamberlain et al, published by Schiffer Publishing, Ltd, is one of several locally oriented books by this author and publisher.
From the back cover: “The Balmat Mining District in Northern New York is a former mining site known among collectors for its highly prized minerals. For more than 100 years, it was one of the world’s most important sources of talc and zinc. Because most of the zinc ore was crushed underground and brought to the surface for separation, only mineral specimens brought out by miners and geologists have survived. Outstanding specimens from both the talc and zinc mines, preserved in only a few collections, are featured in this book – many for the first time. Some of the fine specimens included are hexagonite (see photo, next page), manganocummingtonite, groutite, calcite, sphalerite and magnetite. With more than 200 photographs, this book is the first comprehensive description of the history, geology and mineralogy of this important mining district.”
Answers to Geo Lexis
March 2020 CRACK ‘N CAB - PAGE 7 Vol 50 No 3
The author, Dr. Steven C. Chamberlain, has contributed to almost 400 publications, including Science and Nature, and has chaired the Rochester Mineralogical Symposium for more than 30 years. Dr. Marian V. Lupulescu is the curator of geology at the New York State Museum and held a Senior Fulbright Scholarship at the California Institute of Technology. Dr. David G. Bailey is professor of geology at Hamilton College and a research associate of the New York State Museum. William F. deLorraine was the principal geologist of the zinc mines in the district for 42 years and president of the St. Lawrence County Mineral Club for many years. Dr. George W. Robinson is a retired curator who has authored more than 120 publications, including descriptions of ten new minerals. He is a Carnegie Mineralogical Award recipient. The rare species georgerobinsonite was named in his honor.
You can’t find this book through the Onondaga County Public Library system, but our club does have several copies - one is on display at the clubhouse – and they are available to purchase at a discounted price of $25. See Linda Clark Sweeney for more information.
A select group went on a field trip to the
Gem, Mineral & Fossil Show and visited the NYS Museum on Feb. 22, 2020
(These photos from the Museum by Judy Cook are from a past show)
Note that this specimen of Tremolite
(Hexagonite) came from the Balmat Mining
District referenced in the book review article
above.
March 2020 CRACK ‘N CAB - PAGE 8 Vol 50 No 3
“Collecting Sea Scorpions
from Phelps, NY &
Buffalopterus Pustulosus”
February 17, 2020 presented by Geologist Stephen Mayer
Photos by Judy Cook
Stephen’s favorite!
The next Show Committee meeting will be Tuesday, March 24 at 7 pm at the Clubhouse. Find out the latest updates on the preparations and where help is needed for GemWorld 2020 at the State Fairgrounds on July 11 and 12.
March 2020 CRACK ‘N CAB - PAGE 9 Vol 50 No 3
Flashes from Dave Millis' 2020 Winter Good Times by Bob Livingston Not one to be here in the snow, normally Dave goes to the Keys of Florida and catches over 6,000 fish each year. After catching only 3,600 up to Christmas, he decided this was the year to head West for some of that great collecting he lucked into years past. He went furthest first to Quartsite, AZ where 200,000 snowbirds descend each winter. There he collected for near 6 weeks with a friend from there plus lots of "Roving Rockhounds," (a club out there Dave founded years back). He told me on one, the one-way drive was 62 miles and the last 30 were on a dirt road and you definitely needed 4-wheel drive. On that and several other shorter trips he was concentrating on geodes (You know. the kind we love to cut when he brings his saws to club picnic). So, goody, he will maybe have "new" ones this summer! lol. On other trips he was looking for Fluorite that fluoresces and, after brutal digging, I guess he found a few buckets over several trips. He took in several of the many rock shows that are featured in the Jan/Feb time frame whilst there in Quartsite. Now with several hundred pounds of stash in his van he has moved on to Lordsburg, NM where a main-drag rock shop serves as gathering/ jump off spot for rockhound collectors. Dave sees his time shortening fast and his van springs getting low, so he has to be discriminating. Plus, some days he collects alone so he has to be extra careful. He has picked up a little bit more of his sought-after Fluorite. Some walkouts with heavy buckets were over 1 1/2 miles. Good thing Dave is strong and fit! Soon he will move to his last stop in Deming, NM where the Rockhounds Museum is located. There are over 3-dozen abandoned mines within 45 minutes’ drive from there that Dave intends to look over to see if any of those bear fruit as they have for him in years past. Then he has to begin the slow trip home with probably over a half-ton of goodies jammed in his van. He will be back for one of his club
shows in North PA -- CHE-Hanna end of March. Take 'er easy Dave. We look forward to hearing all about your 2 1/2 months of collecting in the sunshine.
Dear GMSS Club Members,
I'm a rockhound from Knoxville. I spent years
panning for gold around the Smokies and digging
for gemstones in TN, NC and GA. But then I got
interested in hunting fossils out West. So far as an
amateur, I have been able to discover and
preserve over 150 dinosaur bones from 6 different
species including 60 bones of a Triceratops and 20
bones of a T-Rex. All were discovered on private
land with owner’s permission.
To help other beginners avoid all the mistakes I
made along the way, I developed an
educational/training web site
at https://www.findingadinosaur.com. This site
has over 20 chapters of “How To” information and
over 300 photos of the fossils I uncovered.
Please share this web address with those
members who might like to venture out and find
their own dinosaur this summer. If I can be of
help, contact me anytime.
Cheers
Dick Wills
Knoxville, TN
2019 – 2020 GMSS Officers/Contacts -President: Cheryl Brown 315-708-9122 [email protected]
-Vice-President: Dick Lyons 315-672-5328 [email protected]
-Treasurer: Linda Clark Sweeney 315-668-8470 [email protected]
-Secretary: Cathy Patterson [email protected]
-Jr Rockhounds & Web: Rick Moore [email protected]
-Membership Chair: Donna Dow
-Hospitality Chair: Mary Davis 315-885-4416 [email protected]
-Sgt at Arms: Ed Suchon [email protected]
-GemWorld Show Chair:
Dick Lyons 315-672-5328 [email protected]
-Club Librarian: Steve Albro 607-756-2298 [email protected]
-Lapidary Committee Contact: Joanne Suchon 315-440-4098
-Newsletter:
Larry Petry 315-472-9226 [email protected]
-Facebook: Judy Cook
-Photographers Extraordinaire: Judy Cook, Steve Albro
